The eco-efficiency of the Yangtze River Economic Belt from 2005 to 2019 has been evaluated by the super-efficiency SBM window model, the results of which are taken as the measurement standard for green development. Next, more attempts have been done to figure out the impacts of green technological innovation on the green development in urban clusters of the Yangtze River Economic Belt by a systematic GMM model, further confirming the moderation effect of dual environmental regulations on the relationship between green technological innovation and green development and the heterogeneity in different urban clusters of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Finally, it is a fact that a cascade has been pointed out in green development of the Yangtze River Economic Zone. With an empirical analysis, it has been found that green technological innovation has a positive moderating effect on green development in the downstream regions, and the relationship between green technological innovation and green development is positively affected by the formal environmental regulations in the overall Yangtze River Economic Zone and the midstream region. Meanwhile, informal environmental regulations play a positive role in moderating the links between green technological innovation and green development in the overall Yangtze River Economic Zone, as well as the upstream, midstream and downstream regions. Based on the conclusions of the research, some policy suggestions of a multi-environmental regulation governance system and regional differentiated environmental regulation are given at last.
Keywords: Yangtze River Economic Belt; eco-efficiency; environmental regulation; green technological innovation; super-efficiency SBM window model.